Cream separator



J A ril 14, 1942. w. c. TE UNIS Z CREAM SEPARATOR Fii'ea Oct. '21. 1939 INVENTOR. WILLIAM C. TE

UN ISZ.

Patented Apr. 14, 1942 UNlTED STATES PATENT FFICE CREAM SEPARAT'OR William 0. Teunisz, Grand Rapids, Mich. Application October 21, 1939, Serial No. 300,495

1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to dairy apparatus and more particularly to a separator for milk containers or the like.

As is set forth in my Patent Number 2,112,233, dated March 29, 1938, for Cream separator and milk container, a restricted neck portion of a container may have a separator associated therewith and the present invention contemplates a novel type of separator.

One of the main advantages of my preferred separator lies in its resilient edge construction which not only gives a good seal between the milk chamber and the cream chamber, but it also makes my device applicable to bottles having restricted throats of quite widely different sizes. In other words, the throat diameters may vary considerably in the various makes of bottles whether having a wedging angle in which the disc can wedge when pushed to separating position or a definite upward adaptable to receive the disc, yet my device will snugly fit them all, giving a fit which has suflicient friction, where the wedging angle is used to maintain the disc in place against accidental displacement during its use, and giving a contacting sealing fit where the upwardly facing seat or shoulder is utilized and, the'resiliency of the edge of my disc permits the mouth of the bottle, if desired, to be the same size, or even smaller than said seat or throat, inasmuch as the disc edge may easily be compressed and forced there through, thereafter expanding to normal size which shall in any case be slightly larger than said seat or throat so same will form a partition for-purpose specified.

Another important feature of my invention lies in the construction of the pivot between the disc and the handle, this pivot being substantially friction free whereby the disc will gravitate to an up and down position and thus the cream, within the smaller upper part of the bottle, when the separator is descending, disc first, there through, will be practically undisturbed. In other words, the angular positioning of the handle may be widely varied during the insertion of the disc, yet the disc will enter the cream edgewise.

As the disc, with the handle trailing, is entered and pushed downwardly into the cream or contained fluid, the resistance of the fluid against the overhanging surface of the disc, opposite the side of the pivot and handle as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 will gradually cause the disc to swing towards its flat or horizontal seating or wedging position in the throat of the bottle turnfacing seat or shoulder,

ing as indicated by the arrow A. Of course, the periphery of the disc automatically contacts and hermetically seals the throat of the bottle so that the contents of the container above the disc may mitting thorough cleaning thereof. Also, the

pivot openings are extra large to permit flushing of water therethrough.

Still another important feature resides in my handle construction whereby the handle, after serving to carry the disc downwardly, bears against the top of the disc. A portion of the handle contacts the disc inwardly from the pivot, and thus pressure on the handle is transmitted to the disc inwardly from the disc edge, whereby its resilient periphery is snugly and securely wedged into frictional or seating engagement with the interior wall of the container.

Another feature lies in my utilizationof the springiness of the device as a means for main-- taining the same 1n position within the bottle. That is, the handle, after being used to insert the disc, is subject to clockwise movement due to resiliency of the parts, and the handle is made of proper shape to contact the inner part of the container mouth prior to the termination of said movement. Thus the terminal movement of the disc causes a spring locking action to be had.

. Another feature is my handle member this having a finger receiving hole whereby one finger inserted therein, the remaining fingers and the thumb encircling the neck of the bottle, can easily insert or withdraw the handle and the disc. Thus expedient entry and withdrawl are had.

Another advantage of my device is that it is of a construction for permanent use and it is inexpensive to manufacture although it is efiicient in service inasmuch as it so admirably serves the purpose for which it is intended. While we'show a metal disc covered with rubber it is to be understood that any suitable materials may be utilized; likewise, the disc or handle may be constructed of one or more compositions or materials. The disc, while illustrated of a circular shape, may be constructed in suitable shapes other than circular where necessary to fit a par view being taken at right angles to the handle shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the handle taken along the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the handle taken along the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, the lug 20 not being cross hatched.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the disc with lugs of the handle in place through the flanges.

Fig. 6 is a. cross sectional view of the disc taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view showing a cross section of a modified form of disc in'a container having a throat with a definite upward facing seat or shoulder.

As shown in Fig. 1 numeral l indicates a milk bottle generally having a restricted throat H relative to bottle mouth 61 and flaring upwardly and outwardly at l2, then rounding inwardly at l3 and terminating at the discharge opening or mouth 61 which may be slightly smaller or larger thansaid throat I I.

In Fig. 1, I illustrate a disc l having a rounded and resilient edge portion N5 of such size and shape as to have a frictional wedging engagement with the interior of said throat 12. Disc I5 is here shown as constructed or molded of suitable material or composition with flanges l9 fastened to or made a part of the disc proper. A reinforcing plate l1 may be used in the constructionof the disc as illustrated in Fig. 5. Holes or openings. 18 may extend through the said plate I! and slot 2| may be formed therein, and the rubber or other suitable material may be flowed through these openings in order to provide a good bond between these parts.

A pair of flanges IS, with large holes 22 formed orpunched therein, may be molded or fastened to the disc l5 as shown in Fig. 1 or upstruck from theplate I! as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

An elongated handle 25, as shown in Fig. 2, has a hole 26 at its upper end. The lower portion of handle is permanently curved to form the portion 28 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The small end of the handle is somewhat narrowed and lugs or bosses extended oppositely therefrom. These lugs 20 are received in the large holes 22. The assembly of the lugs 20 into the holes 22 may bemade in any suitable manner.

As'is indicated by the arrow B in Fig. 6 and shown in Fig. 1 the portion 28 of the handle, after tilting of the disc to fully operative position, contacts the top face of the disc and thus downward pressure upon the handle causes the periphery of the disc to contact the flaring tapered wall slightly abovethe smallest section of the throat, and thus a hermetically sealed joint is obtained. Thus the cream can now be readily poured from the bottle while retaining the milk.

As is indicated by points 23 in Fig. 2, contact occurs between the handle edges and the inner ring of the mouth 67 of the milk container whereby a yielding pressure is present between the handle and the sealing disc. This pressure maintains the handle out of the way against the rim of the bottle, when pouring, and excel a construction where this pressure is omitted for the reason that said pressure of the handle against the rim of the container prevents the weight of the handle from dislodging the disc, to cause accidental discharge of the contents.

The separator can readily be assembled or disassembled by forcibly springing or bending the disc l5 slightly through line of diameter which passes centrally through the slot 2| whereupon the flanges l9 are separated sufiiciently to per-' mit removal of the handle 26.

Where I employ a disc of non-springable material or composition the handle can readily be assembled to the disc by placing one lug 20 of the handle in the one hole 22, thereafter springing the other lug 20 in the opposite hole 22.

Fig. 7 illustrates a partial neck portion of a milk container 60 having a definite upper facing seat or shoulder in the throat, and therein showing a composition disc 62 having a handle 63 pivoted thereto at Bland the portion 65 of the handle to contact the disc to cause proper seating thereof. This showing indicates a modified form of my separator resting on a shoulder and illustrates that a wedging fit between the disc and the bottle is not needed for operation of my novel separator.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of said terms, and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and 1 described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim:

In combination, a disc, a handle pivoted to one face of the disc away from the center of the disc, the handle extending inwardly towards the center of the disc in parallelismthereto and then upwardly at substantially right angles to the plane of the disc.

WILLIAM C. TEUNISZ. 

